TV group sees dark time if white space opened up

TV GROUP SEES DARK IF WHITE SPACE OPENED UP
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune 12/26/2007, AUTHOR: Jon Van]
The nation's TV broadcasters are fighting Google, Microsoft and other high-tech firms that want to use vacant TV channels to carry high-speed data for a new generation of gadgets. Called "white space," over-the-air channels like 6 and 8 in Chicago are left vacant to prevent signals broadcast on Channels 5, 7 and 9 from interfering with one another. But new digital technology and smart radios that sense whether broadcast channels are being used should enable low-power devices to use vacant channels without hurting TV reception, Internet-oriented executives argue. Utilizing white-space channels will provide consumers with more affordable ways to access the Internet and encourage innovators to make nifty new wireless gizmos, said Brian Peters, director of government relations for the Information Technology Industry Council. This would be especially useful in rural areas where high-speed Internet connections are scarce and vacant TV channels plentiful, he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed_whitespacedec26,1,1712266.story?ctrack=2&cset=true